LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — When Michelle Ireland opens a vintage suitcase, she puts herself in someone else's shoes.
"If I see an old vintage suitcase, I collect them," Ireland said.
This one has all of those things parents hold onto for years and years.
"So I purchased my home 10 years ago," said the Lexington resident. "My assumption is that somebody I hired to help when we emptied the shed where the suitcase must have been located noticed this old vintage suitcase from the shed."
Ireland saw the idea on Pinterest to turn stacked vintage suitcases into an end table, which is what led to the discovery. How long has the suitcase been in the shed behind her home? That's a mystery. She knows enough to hopefully track down the family, but so far no leads. She found the belongings earlier this week.
So what was inside? Baby books, a stuffed animal, and a scrapbook among other things. The baby? Garry Thomas Wilkins. The objects suggest he had ties to the Sadieville area. That's what prompted Ireland to start there to try and find Wilkins or family.
"As a mom, knowing what those items mean, I just felt compelled to make that effort to find the rightful owner, to find baby Garry."
Based on her own research and contact with people who claim to have known a bit about Wilkins, Ireland learned there's a chance Wilkins' mother may have owned the home she currently lives in.
Some clues from the baby book say Garry turned over in February of 1955.
Ireland's mission is still to find Wilkins. So far, not much luck.
